Nemours Children's Clinic Holding Shave Party May 8th

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Be a hero to kids struggling to beat cancer this Saturday you can get your head shaved at Nemours Children's Clinic to raise money and join the festivities.

The idea is to raise funds for pediatric cancer research with a minimum $50 donation, but you can get pledges and raise money on your own, too.

Just show up at 11:30 Saturday and look for the green balloons outside Nemours Children's Clinic then get your head shaved by salon professionals.

The event includes Woody's barbecue, frozen yogurt and other treats.

Nemours Chief of Pediatric Oncology Dr. Eric Sandler already has shaved his head in honor of one of his patients, Vivian.

She's a 7-year-old in Jacksonville who's tested so well she's been accepted into the gifted program at her elementary school. She's in first grade and spells at a fifth-grade level, according to teachers.

Vivian has a disease much like cancer, and has had chemo and bone marrow transplants using marrow from her 5-year-old sister.

Her family is reminding everyone that "hair grows back." Her parents said their faith in God has given them assurance that everything will work out.

Sandler said research dollars do help, and that the greatest progress has been made in childhood leukemia.

In 1970, the cure rate was only 20 percent. Now, he said, it's 80 percent. Sandler is optimistic the cure rates can jump up for other common childhood cancers, such as lymphoma and brain cancer.

For more information go to the St. Baldricks Foundation website. The big shave event goes on internationally every year.